Cairney: Odoi’s dismissal changed the game

Slavisa Jokanovic’s side went in front at Brentford through Neeskens Kebano’s close-range finish after a fine move down the right, but conceded a sloppy equaliser to Sergi Canos shortly afterwards and, when Odoi shown a second yellow card shortly after substitute Romaine Sawyers had put the Bees in front, the game was always likely to slip away from the visitors.

The Fulham captain, who struck the bar with a curler from outside the box as the ten men searched in vain for an equaliser, cut a frustrated figure in his post-match interview with GetWestLondon’s Ryan O’Donovan. Cairney said:

I don’t know, [I thought] it was going okay [in] the first half. [We are] a bit disappointed with their goal and we thought it would be a good game second half but obviously the red card changed the game.

Maybe away from home it was [one of our better performances] in the first half. We could’ve taken our chances a bit better and killed the game a bit more, but I don’t know, it’s just one of those frustrating games. We have to go and play our next game and win next week.

The scant silver lining for Fulham fans after the disappointment on derby day comes with the news that Cairney believes he is getting closer to full fitness following the frustration of recovering from a serious knee injury.

The knee’s getting stronger and feels a bit better, so I’m fairly happy with it. I just have to recover now and go again next week.